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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com